MacVoices #26146: Live! - Encryption Comes, Encryption Goes, AI Lawsuits and Capabilities Abound

What this episode covers

The MacVoices Live! panel discuss privacy, AI, and digital trust, comparing Meta’s Instagram encryption rollback with Apple’s RCS encryption in Messages. Chuck Joiner, David Ginsburg, Eric Bolden, Brian Flanigan-Arthurs, Marty Jencius, and Jeff Gamet also examine an AI lawsuit involving a chatbot posing as a doctor, plus AI customer service, Apple Wallet, and user trust in technology. MacVoices is supported by CleanMyMac from MacPaw. Get Tidy Today! Try 7 days free and use my code MACVOICES20 for 20% off at http://clnmy.com/MACVOICES MacVoices is supported by NordLayer. Secure your network & stay compliant with one toggle-ready platform. Get an exclusive offer: up to 22% off NordLayer yearly plans plus 10% on top with the coupon code: MACVOICES10 at NordLayer.com/macvoices. Try it risk-free—14-day money-back guarantee. Show Notes: Chapters: 00:00 Opening: encryption changes and AI concerns 00:49 Instagram encryption PSA 01:15 Meta’s privacy tradeoffs and safety concerns 01:47 Advice for Instagram users relying on encryption 03:24 Pennsylvania lawsuit against Character AI 04:17 Chatbots posing as doctors 06:04 AI customer service and banking example 07:00 Healthcare company implementation questions 09:39 The danger of users believing an AI is human 12:04 AI in fast-food ordering and prompt manipulation 13:15 Vision Pro content parallels and Apple Wallet convenience 15:36 Apple Wallet usefulness and clutter 17:40 Sponsor: CleanMyMac 18:23 Sponsor: NordLayer 19:03 Explaining the format and show flow 21:08 Apple Messages adds RCS end-to-end encryption 21:30 Apple privacy vs. Meta privacy messaging 24:59 Virtual services, banking, and location independence 27:49 Security expectations across platforms 28:32 OpenAI, ChatGPT subscriptions, Anthropic, and Perplexity 30:23 MacVoices Magazine and support information Links: Apple confirms iOS 26.5 Messages app adds RCS end-to-end encryption - 9to5Mac https://9to5mac.com/2026/05/04/apple-confirms-ios-26-5-messages-app-adds-rcs-end-to-end-encryption/ Meta would rather leave New Mexico than rebuild its apps for kids https://thenextweb.com/news/meta-new-mexico-trial-phase-two-child-safety iOS 27 lets users create custom Wallet passes from any QR code as Apple gives up waiting for developers https://thenextweb.com/news/apple-ios-27-wallet-custom-passes-create Pennsylvania sues Character AI, says chatbot poses as doctors https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/pennsylvania-sues-character-ai-says-chatbot-poses-doctors-2026-05-05/ Guests: Eric Bolden is into macOS, plants, sci-fi, food, and is a rural internet supporter. You can connect with him on Twitter, by email at [email protected], on Mastodon at @[email protected], on his blog, Trending At Work, and as co-host on The Vision ProFiles podcast. Brian Flanigan-Arthurs is an educator with a passion for providing results-driven, innovative learning strategies for all students, but particularly those who are at-risk. He is also a tech enthusiast who has a particular affinity for Apple since he first used the Apple IIGS as a student. You can contact Brian on twitter as @brian8944. He also recently opened a Mastodon account at @[email protected]. Jeff Gamet is a technology blogger, podcaster, author, and public speaker. Previously, he was The Mac Observer’s Managing Editor, and the TextExpander Evangelist for Smile. He has presented at Macworld Expo, RSA Conference, several WordCamp events, along with many other conferences. You can find him on several podcasts such as The Mac Show, The Big Show, MacVoices, Mac OS Ken, This Week in iOS, and more. Jeff is easy to find on social media as @jgamet on Twitter and Instagram, jeffgamet on LinkedIn., @[email protected] on Mastodon, and on his YouTube Channel at YouTube.c David Ginsburg is the host of the weekly podcast In Touch With iOS where he discusses all things iOS, iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Apple Watch, and related technologies. He is an IT professional supporting Mac, iOS and Windows users. Visit his YouTube channel at https://youtube.com/daveg65 and find and follow him on Twitter @daveg65 and on Mastodon at @[email protected] Marty Jencius, Ph.D.,is a counselor educator and technology pioneer who has spent 30 years bringing emerging tech into his field — from founding one of the first professional listservs (CESNET-L) to podcasting, virtual reality, and now AI and AR. He is the founder of ThePodTalk.net, where he produces Vision ProFiles, The Old Mac Gang, A.I. Productivity Workflow, The Tech Savvy Professor, 15 Minute Bytes, The Neo Notebook, and Fade to Chat: Golden Age Cinema. He is also a regular panelist on MacVoices Live!, In Touch with iOS, and The Mac Show. Find him on Bluesky and Mastodon. Support: Become a MacVoices Patron on Patreon http://patreon.com/macvoices Enjoy this episode? 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